Do your mom & dad have enough money to last through retirement? Many children are worried that due to market losses over the past few years, their parents may not have enough to live comfortably through their “golden years”. Does this mean that son’s & daughters will need to pitch in to keep them afloat? How…
Category Archives: Mistakes to Avoid
Caregiver of 38 Years Loses Home to Medicaid Nursing Home Costs
Will Medicaid take my home if I need to go to a nursing home? How can I protect my house? These are two of the most common questions I hear as an elder law attorney. On Monday, Rita Price of The Columbus Dispatch published a related story entitled “Thanks to Medicaid, Caregiver Faces Eviction –…
Beware of Nursing Home Arbitration Agreements
Nursing Home Arbitration Agreements are something to pay close attention to when entering a nursing home or assisted living facility. Many residents sign these without a second thought, but some commentators characterize these contracts as an “incredible disservice” to nursing home residents and their families. Why are these considered a “disservice”? Well, some would say these arbitration…
Protect Your "Virtual Assets"
USA Weekend highlighted a commonly overlooked piece of estate planning in “Create A Plan Now For Your Virtual Assets“. Jill Golden asked: Millions of Americans use e-mail, blogs and social networking sites to stay connected with friends and relatives. But what happens to your accounts after you die? It seems that we all have online…
Ways To Help Your Aging Relative With Their Finances
Sometimes aging loved ones need a little help managing their money. Many times they don’t need everything handled for them, but a little guidance or a review is helpful. In my prior post, Help Your Aging Relatives With Their Finances, some of the warning signs of financial meltdown were discussed, along with the need to…
Help Your Aging Relatives With Their Finances
Keeping an eyes on your elderly relatives may provide signs that they could use your help with handling their finances. Don’t wait to get involved! Eileen AJ Connelly of the AP writes: [a]t first, you might notice a pile of unopened mail. Your normally fastidious mother might be getting sloppy with her checkbook. Your elderly…
Long-Term Care Insurance: Pricey But Necessary?
One of the most common questions I get is “Should we purchase long-term care insurance? Is it worth it?” The answer to that question is up to the individual client, but usually people feel that it’s “too expensive” as they pay it while healthy, and it transforms into a “lifesaver” when one becomes ill and…
Long Term Care’s Impact On The Family
“Families are not necessarily drawn together in a time of crisis. Very often, they are blown apart.” says Nancy Dykeman, an educator of long term care planners. Nancy illustrates this problem with an example: Imagine a young family. The father is working toward a career promotion; he coaches his kids’ soccer teams. His wife works…
Do Your College Age Children Have Healthcare Directives? DO YOU?
We should all protect our families and our assets with legal documents like wills and trusts, but what are our essential needs and what can we do on our own to save on legal fees? Family financial and legal expert, Alexis Martin Neely, is the author of “Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun, Friendly and…
A Grave Issue of Parenting – Writing Wills and Choosing Guardians
The following article, which appeared in the Orange County Register, features an interview with fellow Personal Family Lawyer Darlynn Morgan of The Morgan Law Group in Newport Beach, California. Tips for making sure your children are cared for in the event of your death. “Mommy, what happens after you die?” It’s a question most kids…